Euphrates Chemical Tests Said NegativeNo Indications So Far That Chemical Found in Iraq's Euphrates River Are Illegal, Officials Say

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON April 4 — U.S. Marines near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah found what initially appeared to be suspicious chemicals in water samples from the Euphrates River, two defense officials said Friday.

Details were sketchy, but both officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they knew of no indications that subsequent tests of the water had confirmed the presence of illegal chemicals.

The Marines reported the suspicious substances a few days ago, the officials said.

Don't send American troops to die in Rwanda, urges the Libertarian Party

"President Bill Clinton should remember the lessons of Somalia before sending more American troops to die in Rwanda," said Steve Dasbach, Chairman of the Libertarian Party. "Thirty American soldiers needlessly lost their lives in a futile mission in Somalia, and now Clinton is putting American lives at risk again. But the American military has no legitimate role in the Rwanda crisis," said Dasbach, the head of America's third-largest political party.

"What's happening in Rwanda is a human tragedy, and we applaud the charitable sentiments that President Clinton articulates," added Dasbach. "We encourage individual Americans to contribute generously to the many organizations that are working vigorously - and voluntarily - to relieve the suffering in Africa. That's real compassion; not the coercive, military charity of Bill Clinton."

NEW YORK - U.S. Marines found cyanide and mustard agents in high concentrations in the Euphrates River near Nassiriya in Iraq, television network MSNBC reported on Friday, citing a briefing from Marine officials.

The agents were found during routine tests conducted to ensure the water being used is safe, MSNBC said.

Mustard gas produces painful, long-lasting blisters and often leads to blindness, while cyanide kills by preventing blood from transporting oxygen.

American officials have admitted that the thousands of boxes of white powder they seized north of Baghdad are explosives.

The US military and various media outlets had suggested that they may have made the first discovery of chemical weapons in Iraq.

The claim that the Latifiyah complex was "a suspicious site" was made by a US colonel.

He also claimed to have discovered nerve agent antidote and Arabic documents relating to chemicals.

Colonel John Peabody, an engineer brigade commander with the 3rd Infantry Division, had stated troops found thousands of boxes, each of which contained three vials of white powder, together with documents written in Arabic about chemical warfare.

He said they discovered atropine, used to counter the effects of nerve agents.

The facility had been identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency as a suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons site.

UN inspectors visited the plant at least nine times, including as recently as February 18.

>Dude, you just put your foot in your mouth again. Rowanda was a U.N. screw up....they didn't do anything about it!

So why didn't the US step up and do something about it themselves like they are doing now with Iraq? Maybe because Rowanda doesn't have the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world.

>WOMD: Hmmmm they just found traces of mustard gas a cyanide in the Euphrates river.

Links? Remember, we also claimed that they fired Scuds at us which was later proven false.

Where's the nukes? Where's the anthrax? Where's the nerve gas? If we don't find any will you come back here and eat some crow? Like I said before, I have no problem being wrong because if we would have went the peaceful route and Saddam actually does have WOMD we would have found them eventually without having to kill innocent civilians, many of which were children. Nice!

Dude, you just put your foot in your mouth again. Rowanda was a U.N. screw up....they didn't do anything about it! Nor did they for Bosnia. This is the same organization you wanted to solve this problem?

When Clinton was bombing Bosnia, we didn't hear any commie, liberal ass whining then? No. You see my point? It's all politics on your side, your just pissed Al Gore lost and now you can't even put your opinions aside and support the commander and chief.

WOMD: Hmmmm they just found traces of mustard gas a cyanide in the Euphrates river.

So the question is..... when they do find the weapons of mass destruction, will you come back to this board to eat some conservative crow or just retire your pathetic handle?

Liberation? yeah that's what happens when you come into a town and a Muslim cleric orders a fatwa(to help the coalition) and you see many Arabs giving the peace sign and cheering our troops. Dork.

Thank god Clinton(and his woka, woka, porn guitar) or his contemporaries are not in office. All they would do is look at the polls and the peace marchers. God Bless Tony Blair for having real balls and standing up for what's right.

-Spanker has Spankend -go lick your wounds, crispy.

P.S. I have the stamina to see this thing through the end, just like our President. I will hang out here until everyone of you liberal whiners give up with no fight <--cause you don't know how to.>

It would take Saddam being a direct threat to the US. He is not. Never has been, never will be. In fact, Saddam hasn't been a threat to anybody since the gulf war. And before you say he is a threat to his own people, there are many, many world leaders who are a threat to their own people and we do nothing about it. Rowanda decapitated around 600,000 people in just 60 days the US did nothing.

Why Iraq? Why now? You honestly think that Iraq having the second largest oil reserve in the world has absolutely nothing to do with it?

>The old argument of war for oil has already been debunked by 99% of your liberal comrades and isn't a valid argument, it just proves how naive you are.

Links?

And what happened to the WOMD argument? That's the entire reason we are illegally invading his country, because he supposedly had WOMD and was going to use them or sell them to terrorists. Now that we haven't found any the argument has shifted to "liberation"?!?

How about we just put the whole Iraq thing to rest? It's obvious that...

Actually I disagree, I do think that some people's views have changed as a result of conversations on here. I'm not saying that peaceniks have become warmongers (hehe) or vice-versa, but I know I've learned things that I otherwise would never have known, and that's a good thing (tm).

Perhaps I'm misrepresenting your view here though, I just get the impression from your message that you feel as though the now 300+ messages have been a waste of time.

How about we just put the whole Iraq thing to rest? It's obvious that, no matter what is said, people that post here aren't going to agree on the issue. And that's fine...you can rehash it, you can give your own slant, and / or you can run down the latest news to bolster your point. But people STILL won't come to a single consensus here. And no amount of point / counterpoint we do here on this board is going to change anything that's going on over there right now.

I know, I know...you're saying "If you don't like it, don't read the thread". It just amazes me we're still dragging this one out. I guess it's actually good in a way, since it shows people DO give a flip about what's going on in the world right now.

yea remove it, let people trash talk our country, but remove comments from those who defend it...gee wonder who runs this site....duh

No question about who runs this site, or about who removed your post... it was me. But it had nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with the fact that I made my warnings about not turning these posts into personal attacks, and you ignored them. Post what you wish, but when you venture into the territory you broached here, you are runnning the risk of getting your post nuked every time.

To leader that builds large temples and effigies of himself instead of feeding his own people?

To a regime that fires upon their own civilians.

To a regime that uses hospitals as weapons depots and torture chambers?

To a regime that has killed 100's of thousands of it's own people?

All that Saddam cares about, is Saddam.

What would it take for you to act? If your mom, dad, brother or sister were to be threatened with bodily harm by someone right in front of you...... would have the guts to defend them? If the answer is yes.....then why can't you do it for people you don't know? They are human too. They suffer just like you. For someone like you, who speaks like they really care, couldn't care less I guess.

Last time I looked, when we liberated Kuwait, Japan, France, Germany..... they still had their own governments. You couldn't say that about Russia. The old argument of war for oil has already been debunked by 99% of your liberal comrades and isn't a valid argument, it just proves how naive you are.

It's from the movie Fletch. I was born and raised in this country and I'm about as caucasian as you can get (so much for your stereotyping and your childish attempts at insults, but nice try).

I believe Saddam is a bad guy, I just think that war wasn't the answer, just like the rest of the world. Besides, Saddam being a bad guy isn't what the war is about, it's about oil. George W. Bush and his oil administration have invaded Iraq based on lies and you fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Your views are also what is wrong with this country and it makes me happy to know that you are in the minority not only in the US but in the entire world.

Years from now when we look back on this very dark time in our history I hope you remember that you supported it all! Us "peaceniks" will....but don't worry, we'll forgive you.

What are you going to do about it dude? You're a peacenik. I have nothing to fear from you. Your words don't mean shit. Hell, I could be as barbaric as a wanted to around you, cause I know you'll never fight you'll just talk, talk, talk. You'll never raise a fist or stand up for what's right. I can just have my way with you, cause you're a big joke, you peacenik.

Get ready to eat crow you liberal fools! Better yet jump on bus to Baghdad as "human shields" so we can rid you from the human race! Oh, BWT get ready for another 4 years of Republican rule, it's in cement now.

Did you hear about those 15 Iraq's near Baghdad? They ran towards a tank with their guns blaring, in a suicide rush. One US Marine was quoted as saying "We just mowed them down." That's just kicking ass!! Whoohooo! More idiots bite the dust!

Did you see all the Iraq's cheering our troops on? <--This must piss you liberals off to no end!

America is now redeeming itself from being pathetic peace marchers to being a proud people. We are redefining what it is to be a hero and it's pissing the liberals off!

I haven't felt greater and had more national pride than right now. To see you liberals go down in flames and having to eat crow is just icing on the cake.

-Spanker has Spankend yet again. - and babar's smoking ass is starting to get crispy. LOL